Sebastian police issue 'nuisance' gator alert

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SEBASTIAN, Fla. - After his dog Daisey got loose during a thunderstorm last Wednesday Lloyd Gunnels began hanging up fliers around Lake Hardee Park. The fliers offered a reward for anyone who found his missing pet.

On Friday the two-year-old pit bull's head and part of her torso were pulled from a canal.

"We don't want a repeat of what happened," Gunnels said.

Neighbors said an alligator - estimated to be up to ten-feet long - is the gator now classified by wildlife officials as a 'nuisance' gator.

"I knew it was something very bad," said Debra Roetzer, who spotted Daisey's remains in the water right behind her house. "I was very concerned because we knew the alligator had been cruising back and forth," she said.

It is still unclear if the dog drowned in the canal along Panoka Street before the gator got to her. A second dog was also attacked, according to authorities. The status of that animal is unknown.

"That gator, if it ate two dogs, it will probably eat another one and go after people," said Sebastian resident Michael Lykins.

Sebastian police are alerting residents to keep their pets in a fenced-in area or on a leash at all times.

"I keep him on the leash now," said Robert Russel, of his dog Jake. "I don't let him run anymore."

State wildlife officials are trying to track down the gator to determine what to do with it next. Anyone who sees the gator should called Sebastian police immediately. If a pet or animal is in danger, authorities urge residents to call 911.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.